DONALD Trump has fired his Secretary of the Navy as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz rages on.
The axed Navy boss John Phelan will be replaced by his undersecretary Hung Cao, effective immediately.
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Navy boss John Phelan lead the military action in the raging battle over the Strait of Hormuz Credit: AP
The chokepoint waterway controls a fifth of the world’s oil and gas exports Credit: Reuters
Phelan created a new class of battleships named after Trump whilst boss of the Navy Credit: AP
No reason was given for the impromptu dismissal.
“Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately,” said Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell in the bombshell announcement on Tuesday.
“We wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Phelan was a huge MAGA supporter and splashed out over $1.8 million in donations to the Republican party.
The art collector and financier named a new class of battleships after Trump during his time as Navy boss.
His key role as Secretary of the Navy was spearheading the military on the Strait of Hormuz blockade where tensions threaten to boil over.
Key gas and oil exports are choked off as the strait is in lockdown over the stalemated US-Iran war.
It is now newly-appointed Cao’s mission to wage war in the contested waterway.
The former undersecretary is Vietnamese refugee who has served the US army in missions across Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.
“Hung is the embodiment of the American Dream”, said Trump in praise of his new pick, who was elected by a 52-45 vote in the Senate.
“As a refugee to our Great Nation, Hung worked tirelessly to make proud the Country that gave his family a home”, he added.
Cao favours aggressive military tactics and declared that the military needs more “alpha” leaders.
“What we need is alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip out their own guts, eat them and ask for seconds,” he said in 2024.
Earlier this month attorney general Pam Bondi got the chop for her disastrous handling of the Epstein files.
Bondi repeatedly refused to release the files before Congress passed a bill ordering her to do so.
The President confirmed her dismissal on April 2.
“We love Pam”, said Trump in a social media post, before adding that she “will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector”.
Tensions continue to escalate in the strait as Iran seized two US cargo ships shortly after Trump extended the fragile ceasefire on Tuesday.
Iran peppered three commercial ships with gunfire before capturing two of the vessels and “escort[ing] them to the Iranian coast”.
The blocked strait has become a critical flashpoint in the war against Iran Credit: Reuters
A map of Iran, with the critical waterway marked in the bottom left hand corner Credit: Getty
Pam Bondi came under fire for her refusal to release the Epstein files – and was dismissed earlier this month Credit: Graeme Sloan / Pool via CNP / SplashNews.com
